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What happens when a stay-at-home mom with a passion for baking refuses to let a pandemic crush her dream? Elise Thomas went from filling cookie boxes in her home kitchen to launching one of the fastest-growing dessert franchises in the U.S. Elise shares how she turned a moment of crisis into a movement of kindness and entrepreneurship. They talk about what it means to lead with service, how to build a purpose-driven brand, and what she’s learned about risk, resilience, and growth along the way. This one’s for anyone dreaming bigger than their current circumstances and looking for inspiration to take the next step.
Chapters:
00:00 Meet Elise Thomas, founder of Cookie Co
01:15 Opening a bakery during a global pandemic
03:00 Filling orders late at night while homeschooling kids
04:30 Baking 10 boxes at a time, and selling out
05:45 Giving back to frontline workers
07:00 Community support and viral growth
08:15 Why she turned to franchising
10:00 Making business ownership accessible to more women
11:30 What she’s learned about fear, failure, and family
13:00 Giving people a place to do good
15:00 Building systems for scale and impact
17:30 The heart behind every Cookie Co location
19:00 What success means now
21:00 Advice for moms, makers, and aspiring entrepreneurs
The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.
Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.
Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
By Kara Duffy : Powerful Ladies4.9
7777 ratings
What happens when a stay-at-home mom with a passion for baking refuses to let a pandemic crush her dream? Elise Thomas went from filling cookie boxes in her home kitchen to launching one of the fastest-growing dessert franchises in the U.S. Elise shares how she turned a moment of crisis into a movement of kindness and entrepreneurship. They talk about what it means to lead with service, how to build a purpose-driven brand, and what she’s learned about risk, resilience, and growth along the way. This one’s for anyone dreaming bigger than their current circumstances and looking for inspiration to take the next step.
Chapters:
00:00 Meet Elise Thomas, founder of Cookie Co
01:15 Opening a bakery during a global pandemic
03:00 Filling orders late at night while homeschooling kids
04:30 Baking 10 boxes at a time, and selling out
05:45 Giving back to frontline workers
07:00 Community support and viral growth
08:15 Why she turned to franchising
10:00 Making business ownership accessible to more women
11:30 What she’s learned about fear, failure, and family
13:00 Giving people a place to do good
15:00 Building systems for scale and impact
17:30 The heart behind every Cookie Co location
19:00 What success means now
21:00 Advice for moms, makers, and aspiring entrepreneurs
The Powerful Ladies podcast, hosted by business coach and strategist Kara Duffy features candid conversations with entrepreneurs, creatives, athletes, chefs, writers, scientists, and more. Every Wednesday, new episodes explore what it means to lead with purpose, create with intention, and define success on your own terms.
Whether you're growing a business, changing careers, or asking bigger questions, these stories remind you: you're not alone, and you're more powerful than you think.
Explore more at thepowerfulladies.com and karaduffy.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

112,934 Listeners